A laser beam passes without significant attenuation through conventional latex type gloves used in medical, laboratory and industrial procedures. Hands inadvertently passing through a laser beam are typically the site of laser injuries. In the case of medical laser surgery, the back of the hand is vulnerable to incident laser beams. In the case of laboratory sampling, the palm of the hand is often the site of laser burn injuries.
An important characteristic of conventional latex, synthetic rubber or plastic gloves is the tactile sensitivity which they afford during medical, laboratory or industrial procedures. A difficulty encountered in designing gloves to prevent laser burn injuries to the hand is that this tactile sensitivity may be degraded or lost. Thus, the prior art x-ray protective gloves incorporating leaded rubber or leaded plastic such as the Picker U.S. Pat. No. 1,689,212 and the McCoy U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,424 are entirely unsuited for such applications requiring tactile sensitivity. Furthermore, a simple reflective coating on the conventional latex gloves may result in dangerous reflections that may cause injuries to the eye.